CORNWALL, Ontario – – It’s been an incredible season for 14 year old Novice BMX racer Stylin’ Rylan Adams. Fresh off of podium finishes at the Ontario Provincial Championship, Adams and fellow Cornwall BMX Club members Carter Jackson (14) and Sam “The Skunk” Drouin (13) travelled to Long Island, NY to compete at the DK Gold Cup Championship Finals last weekend. Adams, was off to a good start with a strong second place finish at the Friday Pre-Race and another second place at the Saturday Final. Unfortunately, his luck ran out on Sunday. “I was sitting in first, but then I slipped and crashed hard in the second moto” explained Adams. “I didn’t make the main on Sunday but I finished the season with a #2 Gold Cup plate.”
Adams’ teammate Carter Jackson also had a solid performance and earned a fifth place ranking in the 14 Intermediate class. Jackson qualified for his main events on all three days of racing but a sixth place finish on Friday and seventh place on Saturday weren’t enough for him to secure a championship plate despite a solid second place podium finish on Sunday.
Facing off against North America’s fastest 13 year old isn’t an easy task, but Expert racer Sam “The Skunk” Drouin was able to hold his own against the elite group of competitors. Drouin easily qualified for his main events on all three days and was even able to take home a third place podium finish on Friday. In a close battle for position during Saturday’s race, he went off the track and finished in eighth place. “I unclipped (from my pedal) out of the gate and had a lousy start” says Drouin “I tried to recover but by the time I had caught up to the pack and started making passes, I ran out of room in the second corner and ended up going over the berm.” Drouin also struggled during Sunday’s main event and finished seventh in the race and in overall rank.
Over 650 athletes from all over northeastern United States and Canada attended the Championship Finals in Long Island with the goal of earning a coveted Gold Cup number plate. “That’s one of the things that makes this series so exciting and competitive.” explains Cornwall BMX Club president, Dan Drouin, “The Gold Cup plates are only awarded to the top three riders in each category,” he continued ”while the next five riders get to bring home custom trophies, Gold Cup rankings, and bragging rights.”
In order to qualify for the Championship Finals at the scenic Shoreham BMX Track, Adams, Jackson and Drouin had to compete in at least two Regional Qualifying events. Only six Canadian cities were selected to host Qualifiers this year and the track in Cornwall was among one of the chosen venues.
Summary of 2019 Ontario BMX Provincial Championship held October 4th, 5th and 6th in Long Island, New York:
“Stylin’” Rylan Adams/Team Rez Riders: Gold Cup Champion #2 – 14 Novice Class
Carter Jackson/Team Rez Riders: Gold Cup Ranking #5 – 14 Intermediate Class
Sam “The Skunk” Drouin/Team Unique Hyper-Body Armor: Gold Cup Ranking #7 – 13 Expert Class
